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Winter 2007 Edition
Get G.A.P. (Guaranteed Auto Protection) FREE in January ‘07
G.A.P. insurance is one of the great benefits USE Credit Union offers members when they finance a new auto or truck.
Quite simply, G.A.P. insurance pays you the difference between what your insurance company will pay you and what you owe should your car become totaled before the note is paid.
Depending on the circumstances, you could end up owing quite a bit of money if you are in a serious auto accident and the vehicle is destroyed. G.A.P. covers this “gap” and can ultimately save you…the member…quite a bit of money.
Normally, G.A.P. insurance is simply added to the amount you finance through USECU. In January, however, finance your new vehicle with the credit union and G.A.P. is FREE.
So, visit your friendly USECU loan officer in January ’07.
Make Life Easier 3 Ways - NetBranch…Online Bill Pay…E-Statements
Finding extra time in our day is sometimes difficult to do. However, with our great trio of electronic services you can reduce the amount of time you spend driving to the credit union and waiting in line. You can access your account whenever you want, obtain your statement when it’s convenient and pay your bills easily, day or night.
- NetBranch - Our Internet-based financial service provides you with the convenience of making online transactions on your accounts 24/7. Make transfers from one of your accounts to another of your accounts, find out if checks have cleared, obtain balances, and more.
- Express Pay - Pay most of your bills with the click of a button. Make payments today, schedule future payments and even set up recurring payments.
- E-Statements - View and print your statement online. It’s faster and safer than receiving your statements through the mail.
Want More Information? Visit any of the USECU branch offices and experience a personal demonstration of the benefits of
NetBranch, Express Pay and the credit union’s e-statements.
Take Charge Of Your Credit Today!
Make sure your reports are accurate and free of fraud. Today, more than ever, it’s important to take control of your personal finances and your credit history.
Equifax provides USECU members with a number of services that may be of personal benefit to you. To access this information, visit the USE Credit Union website at www.usecuweb.com, then click on the Equifax banner at the bottom of the website page.
Con Artists Switching From Phishing To Vishing
There’s a new scam on the block, dubbed “vishing,” and it is coming to a telephone near you, according to Networkworld.com.
Vishing mimics phishing by trying to trap you in divulging your account numbers. (Phishing is the act of sending an e-mail to a user, falsely claiming to be a legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.)
But, instead of being phished in an e-mail message, you may receive a telephone call from an automated random dialer and the voice on the other end of the line may tell you your credit card has been used illegally. You’re then asked to dial a fake 800 number with another voice that ask you to confirm your account details and credit card number.
If you give the information, you can count on your account being drained.
All of this is possible because of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the new technology that makes possible inexpensive and anonymous Internet calling. And, industrial analysts are concerned that it’s becoming more difficult to tell “phish” and “vish” from actual attempts to contact customers.
One attach imitated PayPal with a fraudulent message urging victims to call a California-based phone number to update credit card account information “to prevent any fraudulent activity from occurring.” The number was traced to an Internet-phone service and was shut down.
Take steps to avoid being vished:
- If you get a phone call and someone asks you to give or confirm credit card or personal information, hang up. Then call the credit union or the financial institution that issued the card by using the number on the back of the card or on your statement, and report the attempt. If the call was legitimate, the provider will know it.
- If you get a call from someone who claims to be from a financial institution you do business with and who knows your credit card account number but wants the three-digit code on the back of the card, immediately hang up.
- If you get an e-mail message asking you to call a toll free number to verify account information, delete the e-mail. Never provide personal information or account information based on an e-mail request.
- Be suspicious of any phone or e-mail contact that doesn’t use your first name or surname.
- Never dial a call return number – or reply to an e-mail – regarding any financial matter.
Now is a great time to open your IRA.
Choose a Roth IRA if you don’t need a tax break right now. It’s a more flexible investment.
Choose a Traditional IRA if your want the tax deduction right now. It also makes sense if you anticipate paying taxes at a significantly lower rate in retirement.
And, Coverdell ESA’s offer tax-free distribution and, unlike section 529 plans, can be used for elementary and high school expenses at most public, private and parochial schools.
To learn more about IRAs, visit our website at www.usecuweb.com.
2007 USECU Holiday Schedule
USE Credit Union will be observing the following holidays in 2007:
The Nominating Committee is appointed by the Board of Directors and has the responsibility of preparing a slate of nominees to be announced at the 2007 Annual Meeting.
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Martin Luther King’s, Jr.’s Birthday, January 15
- President’s Day, February 19
- Memorial Day, May 28
- Independence Day, July 4
- Columbus Day, October 8
- Veterans’ Day, November 12
- Thanksgiving Day, November 22
- Christmas Eve (1/2 day), December 24
- Christmas Day, December 25
- New Year’s Eve (1/2 day), December 31
2007 USECU Annual Meeting Scheduled
The 2007 USE Credit Union Annual Meeting will be held on: Thursday, March 8, 2007 at 7:00 p.m., at the Houston Marriott West Loop, 1750 West Loop South
NOW HEAR THIS! Be Careful When Strangers Call.
You can be sure of one thing if you get a call from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS): it probably isn’t the IRS.
In an attempt to catch people off guard, crooks are posing as IRS agents and hoping caller will hand over enough personal information – Social Security numbers, dates of birth and so on – so the crook can commit identity theft.
It’s an effective scam, especially for people who fear an IRS audit. And, older people are particularly susceptible because they are more trusting.
What should you do if you get a call from someone who claims to be from the IRS?
Be suspicious from the get-go. Remember that the IRS almost never calls taxpayers and never asks for credit card numbers, financial account numbers or personal identification numbers over the phone.
Ask for the agent’s name. Then hang up and call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to confirm that the caller is an IRS employee. Don’t use any other phone number that the caller gives you – it’s probably a fake.
Report the call to the Treasury Inspector General’s fraud-referral telephone hot line at 800-366-4484.
Safety Tips For Driving At Night
Driving at night is more of a challenge than many people think. It’s also more dangerous.
Why is night driving so dangerous? One obvious answer is darkness. Ninety percent of a driver’s reaction depends on vision and vision is severely limited at night. Depth perception, color recognition and peripheral vision are compromised after sundown.
Older drivers have even greater difficulties seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old.
Another factor adding danger to night driving is fatigue. Drowsiness makes driving more difficult by dulling concentration and slowing reaction time.
Alcohol is a leading factor in fatal traffic crashes, playing a part in about half of all motor vehicle-related deaths. That makes weekend nights more dangerous. More fatal crashes take place on weekend nights than any other time of the week.
Fortunately, you can take several effective measures to minimize these after-dark dangers by preparing your car and following special guidelines while you drive.
The National Safety Council recommends the following:
- Prepare your car for night driving. Clean headlights, tail lights, interior lights and windows.
- Have your headlights properly aimed. Misaimed headlights blind other drivers and reduce your ability to see the road.
- Don’t drink and drive. Not only does alcohol severely impair your driving ability, it also acts as a depressant.
- If there is any doubt, turn your headlights on. Lights will not help you see better in early twilight, but they will make it easier for other drivers to see you.
- Reduce your speed and increase your following distances. It is more difficult to judge other vehicle’s speeds and distances at night.
- If an oncoming vehicle doesn’t lower beams from high to low, avoid glare by watching the right edge of the road and using it as a steering guide.
- Make frequent stops for light snacks and exercise. If you’re too tired to drive, stop and get some rest.
The New Year’s Top Ten Resolutions
If you are like a lot of other people, the new year presents another opportunity to get things done right. Publicly, or for many, in secret, resolutions are made about what’s got to be done during the next 12 months. Here’s what the general population of the country has planned for 2007.
- Spend more time with family and friends
- Fit in fitness
- Tame the bulge
- Quit smoking
- Enjoy life more
- Quit drinking
- Get out of debt
- Learn something new
- Help others
- Get organized
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